A VERY rare Burns

[BrianD]

I was a Burns enthusiast back in the sixties and seventies. By 1976 I had owned a Vibra Artist, a smooth scroll Vibraslim, two Double 6s, two three pick-up Bisons, a 706 335 look-alike and my first Marvin. Then I came across this guitar (see photos) in a shop in London's Denmark Street. I had no idea what it was but it was a Burns and had a price of £45 on it. I bought it on impulse but found it to be unusable as a working guitar. Clearly it was missing various original parts (term unit) but it did have a very nice neck and low action. After a few months I got in touch with Paul Day who was very interested and swapped it for a three pick-up 1963 Black Bison. If you have a copy of Paul's "Green" Burns Book you will see this guitar mentioned and illustrated on pages 52 &54 as a prototype Mk2 Thinline. Paul actually used one of my photos in the book, modified (pre-Photoshop!!!!) with an illustration of what the term unit should have looked like. I thought those interested in Burns guitars might like to see the original photos which I just dug out of my archives and scanned in.

Burns ThinlineC.jpg

(934.67 KiB) Downloaded 11804 times

Burns ThinlineC.jpg

(934.67 KiB) Downloaded 11804 times

[Billyboygretsch]

Thanks for posting that it a very interesting guitar.

[cockroach]

Three pickups!

I recall that a very similar model was used as an illustration on guitar string packets in the '60's?

[RayL]

Brian,

Hope you don't mind, but for all of us who hate scroll bars I've resized one of the pics so we can see the guitar in full.

Burns ThinlineC no scroll bars.jpg (94.7 KiB) Viewed 13122 times

Ray

[BrianD]

Three pickups!

I recall that a very similar model was used as an illustration on guitar string packets in the '60's?

If memory serves (it was about 40 years ago!) Paul Day told me it was that very guitar used in its initial incarnation, but I may be wrong. I think it was used on Rotosound string packets, but again, could be proven wrong.

[ErikMAMS]

Wasn't it Monopole strings - although I seem to remember the guitar/pic I'm thinking about with more of a greenish finish?

Erik

[BrianD]

I think you are right Erik. I know it was a brand of string I never used.

[ErikMAMS]

This one http://www.vintagehofner.co.uk/gallery/solids2/sol6.html. In the strings/strap compartment - second pic. Only picture I could find.

Is this the guitar, do look greenish to me? The trem looks like a short Rezo or similar.

Erik

[BrianD]

This one http://www.vintagehofner.co.uk/gallery/solids2/sol6.html. In the strings/strap compartment - second pic. Only picture I could find.

Is this the guitar, do look greenish to me? The trem looks like a short Rezo or similar.

Erik

That Hofner photo takes me back. My first solid electric was EXACTLY like that, could almost be that very guitar!!

As for the colour of the Burns on the string packet - well, anything might have been done in printing. The original trem would not be a Rezo model as this guitar predated that design. More likely to have been a surface mounted unit like the one shown on the Burns Jazz prototype also illustrated on page 54 of Paul Day's Green Burns Book.

[cockroach]

It was on the PICATO string packets- see the book '17 Watts?' page 118 hard back- pictures of vintage guitar string packets. It is pictured at left together with a Burns bass and a Gretsch double cutaway Nashville 6120...